6.11. Bertwolfe king of Mercia tributarie to the Westsaxons, the fame of Modwen an Irish virgine, she was a great builder of mona|steries, she had the gift of healing diseases, Ethel|bald and Ethelbright diuide their fathers kingdome betwixt them, Ethelbald marieth his mother, he dieth, Win|chester destroied by the Danes, they plaied the trucebreakers and did much mischiefe in Kent, Ethelbright dieth; Ethelred king of the Westsaxons, his commendable qualities, his regi|ment was full of trouble, he fought againt the Danes nine times in one yere with happie successe, the kings of Mercia fall from their sealtie and allegiance to Ethelred, Hungar & Vb|ba two Danish capteines with their power lie in Eastan|gle, Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine of the Danes in battell, they set Yorke on fire, a commendation of bishop A|delstan, his departure out of this life. The eleuenth Chapter.

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Bertwolfe king of Mercia tributarie to the Westsaxons, the fame of Modwen an Irish virgine, she was a great builder of mona|steries, she had the gift of healing diseases, Ethel|bald and Ethelbright diuide their fathers kingdome betwixt them, Ethelbald marieth his mother, he dieth, Win|chester destroied by the Danes, they plaied the trucebreakers and did much mischiefe in Kent, Ethelbright dieth; Ethelred king of the Westsaxons, his commendable qualities, his regi|ment was full of trouble, he fought againt the Danes nine times in one yere with happie successe, the kings of Mercia fall from their sealtie and allegiance to Ethelred, Hungar & Vb|ba two Danish capteines with their power lie in Eastan|gle, Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine of the Danes in battell, they set Yorke on fire, a commendation of bishop A|delstan, his departure out of this life. The eleuenth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _AFter Wightlafe king of Mercia,Bertwolfe. of Mercia. one Bertwofe reig|ned as tributarie vnto the Westsaxons, the space of 13 yeeres, about the end of which tearme he was chased out of his countrie by the Danes, and then one Burthred was made king of that kingdome, Matth. West. saith the daughter. Ranulf. Cest. Iohn Cap|graue. which maried Ethel|swida the sister of Ethelwolfe king of Westsaxons. In this season, one Modwen a virgine in Ireland was greatlie renowmed in the world, vnto whome the forenamed king Ethelwolfe sent his sonne Al|fred to be cured of a disease, that was thought in|curable: but by hir meanes he recouered health, and therefore when hir monasterie was destroied in Ire|land, Modwen came ouer into England, vnto whom king Ethelwolfe gaue land to build two abbeies, and also deliuered vnto hir his sister Edith to be pro|fessed a nun. Modwen herevpon built two monaste|ries, one at Pouleswoorth, ioining to the bounds of Arderne, wherein she placed the foresaid Edith, with Osith and Athea: the other, whether it was a mona|sterie or cell, the founded in Strenshall or Trentsall, where she hir selfe remained solitarie a certeine time in praier, and other vertuous exercises. And (as it is reported) she went thrice to Rome, and finallie died, being 130 yéeres of age. Hir bodie was first buried in an Iland compassed about with the riuer of Trent called Andresey, taking that name of a church or chappell of saint Andrew, which she had built in the same Iland, and dwelled therein for the space of se|uen yéeres. Manie monasteries the builded, both in England (as partlie aboue is mentioned) and also in Scotland, as at Striueling, Edenbrough; and in Ireland, at Celestline, and elsewhere.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Ethelbald and Ethelbright diuiding their fathers kingdom betwixt them,Ethelbald and Ethel+bright. 857 began to reigne, Ethel|bald ouer the Westsaxons and the Southsaxons, and Ethelbright ouer them of Kent and Essex, in the yéere of our Lord 857, which was in the second yéere of the emperor Lewes the second, & the 17 of Charles surnamed Caluus or the bald king of France, and about the first yéere of Donald the fift of that name king of Scots.The vnlawful mariage of Ethelbald. Wil. Malm. The said Ethelbald greatlie to his re|proch tooke to wise his mother in law quéene Iudith, or rather (as some write) his owne mother, whom his father had kept as concubine. He liued not past fiue yéeres in gouernement of the kingdome, but was taken out of this life to the great sorrow of his sub|iects whome he ruled right worthilie, and so as they had him in great loue and estimation. Then his bro|ther Ethelbright tooke on him the rule of the whole gouernment, as well ouer the Westsaxons & them of Sussex, as ouer the Kentishmen and them of Essex.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In his daies the Danes came on land, Hen. Hunt Winchester destroied by Danes. Danes vanquished. and destroid the citie of Winchester: but duke Osrike with them of Hamshire, and duke Adelwolfe with the Barke|shire men gaue the enimies battell, & vanquishing them, slue of them a great number. In the fift yeere of Ethelbrights reigne, a nauie of Danes arriued in the Ile of Tenet, vnto whome when the Kentish|men had promised a summe of monie to haue a truce granted for a time, the Danes one night, before the tearme of that truce was expired, brake foorth and wasted all the east part of Kent: wherevpon the Kentishmen assembled togither, made towardes those trucebreakers, and caused them to depart out of the countrie. The same yéere, after that Ethel|bright had ruled well and peaceably the Westsaxons fiue yeeres, and the Kentishmen ten yéeres, he ended his life, and was buried at Shireborne, as his bro|ther Ethelbald was before him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 AFter Ethelbright succéeded his brother Ethel|red,Ethelred. 867 and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and the more part of the English people, in the yéere of our Lord 867, and in the 12 yéere of the emperour Lewes, in the 27 yéere of the reigne of Charles Cal|nus king of France, and about the 6 yéere of Con|stantine the second king of Scots. Touching this Ethelred, he was in time of peace a most cour|teous prince, and one that by all kind of meanes sought to win the hearts of the people: but abroad in the warres he was sharpe and sterne, as he that vn|derstood what apperteined to good order, so that he would suffer no offense to escape vnpunished. By which meanes he was famous both in peace and warre: but he neither liued any long time in the go|uernement, nor yet was suffered to passe the short space that he reigned in rest and quietnesse.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 For whereas he reigned not past six yeeres,Foure yéeres six moneths saith Harison. Wil. Malm. Ethelred fought with the Danes nine times is one yéere. he was continuallie during that tearme vexed with the in|uasion of the Danes, and speciallie towards the lat|ter end, insomuch that (as hath béene reported of writers) he fought with them nine times in one yéere: and although with diuers and variable for|tune, yet for the more part he went away with the victorie. Beside that, he oftentimes lay in wait for their forragers, and such as straied abroad to rob and spoile the countrie, whom he met withall and ouer|threw. There were slaine in his time nine earles of those Danes, and one king, beside other of the mea|ner sort without number.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But here is to be vnderstood, that in this meane time, whilest Ethelred was busied in warre to resist the inuasions of the Danes in the south and west parts of this land, the kings and rulers of Mercia and Northumberland taking occasion thereof,The kings of Mercia and Northumber|land neglect their duties. began to withdraw their couenanted subiection from the Westsaxons, and tooke vpon them as it were the ab|solute gouernment and rule of their countries, with|out respect to aid one another, but rather were con|tented to susteine the enimies within their domini|ons, than to preuent the iniurie with dutifull assis|tance to those, whom by allegiance they were bound to serue and obeie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 By reason hereof,The Danes grow in pur|sance. the Danes without resistance grew into greater power amongst them, whilest the inhabitants were still put in feare each day more than other, and euerie late gotten victorie by the eni|mies by the increase of prisoners, ministred occasion of some other conquest to follow. Euen about the be|ginning of Ethelreds reigne, there arriued vpon the English coasts an huge armie of the Danes, vn|der the conduct of two renowmed capteins Hungar and Ubbs,Hung [...]r and Ubb [...]. men of maruellous strength and valian|cie, but both of them passing cruell of nature. They EEBO page image 143 lay all the winter season in [...] compounding with them of the [...] for [...] vpon certeine conditions, sparing [...] a tune to shew their for as for quietnesse sake.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the socond yéere of king E [...]hel [...]ed, the said capteine came with their armies into. Yorkshire, finding the country vnprouided of necessarie defense bicause of the ciuill discord that reigned aniong the Northumbers, Hen. Hunt. King Os|bright deposed and E [...]la pla|ced. the which had latelie expelled king Osbright, that had the gouernement of those parts, and placed one Ella in his roome: howbeit now they were constreined to reuoke him home againe, and sought to accord him and Ella. But it was long yer that might be brought to passe, notwithstanding yet at length they were mae friends, by reason of this inuasion attempted by forren enimies, and then raising their powers they came to Yorke, where the Danes, hauing wasted the countrie euen to the riuer of Tine, were lodged.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The English host entring the citie, began to fight with the Danes, by reason whereof a fore battell in|sued betwixt them:Osbright and Ella kings of Northumber|land slaine. but in the end the two kings Os|bright and Ella were slaine, and a great number of the Northumbers, what within the citie, and what without lost their liues at that time, the residue were constreined to take truce with the Danes. This bat|tell was fought the 21 day of Ma [...]ch being in [...]ent,It must be vpon the 10 [...]alends of A|prill, or else it well not con|c [...]rre with Palmsunday. See. Mat. West. on the Friday before Palmsunday, in the yere 657. ¶Some haue written otherwise of this battell, reporting that the Northumbers calling home king Osbright (whome before they had banished) incoun|tred with the Danes in the field, without the walles of Yorke,Yorke burnt by Danes. but they were easilie beaten backe, and chased into the citie, the which by the Danes pursu|ing the victorie, was set on fier and burnt, togither with the king and people that were fled into it for succour. How soeuer it came about, certeine it is, that the Danes got the victorie, and now hauing subdued the Northumbers, appointed one Egbert so reigne ouer them as king, vnder their protection, which Egbert reigned in that sort six yeares ouer those which inhabited beyond the riuer of Tine. In the same yeare, Adelstane bishop of Shireborne departed this life,The commen|dation of Adel+stan bishop of Shirborne. hauing gouerned that sée the terme of 50 yeares. This Adelstane was a man of high wisedome, and one that had borne no small rule in the kingdome of the Westsaxons, as here|by it may be coniectured, that when king Ethelwulfe returned from Rome, he would not suffer him to be admitted king, because he had doone in certeine points contrarie to the ordinances and lawes of the same kingdome, wherevpon by this bishops means Ethelbald the sonne of the same king Ethelwulfe was established king, and so continued till by agrée|ment the kingdome was diuided betwixt them, as before is mentioned. Finallie, he greatlie inriched the sée of Shireborne, and yet though he was fer|uentlie set on couetousnesse, he was neuerthelesse verie free and liberall in gifts:Bishop Adel|stan couetous. Hen. H [...]nt. which contrarie e [...]|tremities so ill matched, though in him (the time wherein he liued being considered) they might seeme somewhat tollerable; yet simplie & in truth they were vtterlie repugnant to the law of the spirit, which bid|deth that none should doo euill that good may come thereof. Against which precept because Adelstane could not but offend in the heat of his couetousnes, which is termed the root of all mischiefe, though he was excéeding bountifull and large in distributing the wealth he had gréedilie gotten togither; he must néeds incur reprehension. But this is so much the lesse to be imputed vnto him as a fault, by how much he was ignorant what (by the rule of equitie and conscience) was requirable in a christian man, or one of his vocation.